Developing a sophisticated biological weapon has historically required highly specialized expertise, laboratory equipment, and years of trial and error. But artificial intelligence could change that equation by making advanced scientific knowledge easier to access and dramatically shortening the learning curve.

On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer asks investigative journalist and author Annie Jacobsen what happens when an AI system can provide a potential blueprint for a biological weapon. Jacobsen explains why the barriers to developing bioweapons are already much lower than those surrounding nuclear weapons – and how AI could lower them further.

Drawing on a real-world case involving an alleged biological weapons plan discovered in 2008, Jacobsen explains how capabilities that were once largely hypothetical could become more feasible as AI systems grow more powerful. The challenge for governments and AI companies is figuring out where safeguards can actually stop that knowledge from becoming a real-world threat.